


Shine On

by beng



Series: The Dawn Will Come [3]
Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Character Study, Flirting, Gen, Herald of Andraste, Pre-Relationship, Religion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-31
Updated: 2014-12-31
Packaged: 2018-03-04 13:22:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3069671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beng/pseuds/beng
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rinata can live with everyone else's belief in her as the Herald of Andraste, even if she doesn't believe it herself. But some people she can't lie to.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Shine On

Rinata can’t sleep. She’s tossing and turning in her bed in Haven, and her new woolen socks are scratchy, the blanket too thin, the sheets crumpled. It’s still dark outside, but she hears people waking up already, and she hasn’t slept a minute.

Something feels wrong. Something is not sitting well with her, and she knows it’s something to do with Blackwall, because he was the last one she spoke with before retiring to her chamber. Rinata curses under her breath. 

Why is it always Blackwall that makes her question everything?

From their last conversation at the stables Rinata returned flushed and distracted. The man is obviously besotted with her, but he is very respectful about it. He is brave and no-nonsense, and at the same time he’s so fun to flirt with Rinata just can’t help herself. No, the Warden’s crush on her is not a problem. In fact, Rinata would be lying if she said she hadn't been grinning stupidly as she left.

_ “Honourable,” _ he’d said. Well, exiled or not, House Cadash remembers the time they were warrior caste with their own thaig. Rinata supposes she can be honourable alright, when the Carta is not breathing down her neck.

_ “Principled,” _ she remembers. She doesn’t think she did anything particularly principled on the Storm Coast, but alright.

And then— _“You are the Herald of Andraste. Any man would be honoured to kneel before you.”_

Maybe that's what robbing her of sleep? That he sees her as something she clearly isn’t?

Rinata burrows deeper into her blanket, suddenly saddened by the thought.

She can live with his conviction that she’s a remarkable woman, or whatever else he told her the first time they spoke, even if it had rung a bit empty; after all, he’d barely known her. She doesn’t think she’s that special, but she is willing to change, to step up and be one. That she can do, with some time and practice. That’s exactly what she _plans_ to do.

But she’d have to go tell him tomorrow, like she told Cassandra, that she doesn’t believe in the Maker or Andraste. That she doesn’t believe she’s been chosen by some divine power. She wonders what Blackwall would say to that.

Would he think less of her? Would he  even  stay with the Inquisition?

Damn! His main motivation for joining had been to find the ones responsible for the Divine’s death. Rinata groans into the pillow.

So he is religious. Damn. Blighted humans and their gods!

And why’s she thinking so much about a man who’s obviously confusing Grey Warden duties with some personal code of conduct, is twice older than her, and an Andrastian?

Rinata turns over on her back and stares at the dark rafters above her. She furrows her brow as another chilling thought occurs to her.

Is _she_ falling for him too? Is her flirting with him more than a fun game?

Oh blast and damnation. Rinata shivers as cold dread runs through her. She’s not ready for what it means.

She’s _so_ going to set him straight tomorrow. Tell him all she thinks about his Chantry, and Templars and this whole war, and his Maker included. She just can’t stomach the thought that he might be falling for her, when he doesn’t even know such basic things about her. Fortunately, he already knows of her Carta past. And if he rejects her then, then at least half of the equation would be solved; she can deal with her own half later.

Rinata sighs as she runs her hands through her hair and sits up. ‘Tomorrow’ means today, and she’s groggy and scared. But she needs to speak with him as soon as possible, and then go train with Cullen, and then talk with Josephine about finance. The Breach awaits. Rinata sighs again.

Shine on, you crazy diamond.


End file.
